Big Nate Strikes Again by Lincoln Peirce - or, Boys' Books to Ban

Tuesday we pointed out some books you wouldn't want your daughters to read, lest they start thinking they are as good as boys*. Today we have a series you will want to keep your sons away from.

* See Monday's post re: sarcasm.

Waaaaaaaaay back in May we had a long, convoluted discussion about the first book in this series, Big Nate in a Class by Himself. What were we thinking?! We actually recommended it for classrooms! This book should definitely not be anywhere near, say, upper elementary/middle school boys.

Yes, boys in that age group are notorious for being reluctant readers, and yes, these books would get them reading, and yes, we suppose they are well written and funny. Big Nate Strikes Again even slides in some information about a historical figure and makes him look cool and interesting (which he was). Wait, what was our objection?

Oh, yes! Who cares if they are both funny and educational, they have comics in them! Everyone knows reading books with comics doesn't really count as reading. There is also the matter of  the way the teachers are portrayed - basically, some have brains, some don't. Are we supposed to think that is realistic? They are teachers, that automatically means they are all smarter than the rest of us.

(Slight pause while Miss Ami, a former teacher, tries to control her indelicate snorting so she can resume typing.)

Last but not least, there is Nate himself. He places a much higher value on sports than on education, fails to appreciate the lovely and intelligent Gina, and doesn't like egg salad. Oh, and he gloats. Is this really the type of character we want our young men to identify with? Certainly not!

This book (reviewed from ARC provided by the publisher) is due on shelves October 19. We strongly urge you to run out and purchase a more suitable book, such as Little Lord Fauntleroy, so that you can surreptitiously put that in Big Nate's place should your local library make this sad purchase.



Book Club Friday: Big Nate in a Class By Himself, by Lincoln Peirce

Fegan - For our first book discussion, we are taking a look a new series by Lincoln Pierce.

Squirt - Dude, you spelled his name wrong

Fegan - Did not.

Squirt - Did so. It's PEIrce.

Fegan - I belIEve it's "i before e except after c".

Freaky - "Or when sounding like 'a' as in 'neighbor' and 'weigh'."

Fegan - Yes, thank-you.

Squirt - But that's not how HE spells it. Wouldn't he know how to spell his own name?

(pause while turtles peruse book cover, bio, AND media release)

Fegan - Okay, so today we are discussing a new series, Big Nate, by Lincoln Peirce.

Squirt - Except that Big Nate isn't really new, just the books.

Fegan - Are you going to argue with everything I say today?

Squirt - Are you going to keep being wrong? (ducks flipper) Sorry! Sorry! I'm just saying. Big Nate has been a comic strip for a long time now.

Freaky - A very funny one. So did we expect the book to be funny, too?

Fegan - Yes, and it was. Some of us had reservations at first.

Squirt - It looked like copying. I hate copying.

Fegan - And who did you think it was copying?

Squirt - Jeff Kinney and his "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series.

Fegan - And what did we find out?

Squirt - Dude, you aren't my teacher or my Dad, stop talking to me like that.

Fegan - If you'll agree not to call me "Dude" again.

Squirt - Agreed. Anyway, Jeff Kinney absolutely LOVES Big Nate comics, and has for a long time. So, if anything, his writing might have been influenced by Peirce's, and not the other way around.

Freaky - Either way, it's a great book, and I'm looking forward to the next one; "Big Nate Strikes Again", due out in October.

Fegan - I'm looking forward to having something else to hand kids looking for "The Diary of a Wimpy Kid".

Squirt - Or fans of Captain Underpants.

Freaky - Is there anyone who wouldn't like Big Nate?

Squirt - Teachers.

Freaky - Certain kinds of teachers. Teachers who are a little too uptight and probably shouldn't be teaching any more.

Squirt - I had one of those.

Freaky - I think we all have - but some are pretty cool, too.

Squirt - And if they really are cool, they'll get this book for their classroom!

Freaky - Well, there you have it, folks - and if you can't trust an adolescent turtle, who can you trust?